Gray Valley

e i g h t y

I WAS ALONE UNTIL NIGHT.

And when the door opened and light seeped into the room, instinctively, I knew it was West.

"I'm sorry, West."

"And I'm sorry, too, Weslyn."

There was a pause.

"Why are you sorry?"

"I was harsh."

"But you were right."

"I was right but I was too harsh."

I turned to look at my brother.

And, there he was, with a tentative expression, and his arms stretched out towards me.

And without a word, I walked towards him and allowed him to wrap his arms around me.

"I didn't mean what I said."

"I know."

"I have hurt people. I have hurt Blayze... I have hurt you and Anna. I have hurt people with my words. But... I didn't mean what I said. I didn't mean it when I told you to take Blayze prisoner and when I insulted you and Anna. I didn't mean to hurt people. But... I have not been myself. I was so hurt that I didn't realise my words have hurt people. "

"Yes, I know that, too. You're hurt, Weslyn. And when you're hurt you hurt other people. I hurt people, too, Weslyn. I hurt people because, when Mary decided to leave me in Gray Valley, I was hurt. I was... Broken. And so I hurt other people."

I thought of everything West had done.

Everything.

He had tormented the Pack. He had killed. He had turned Humans into Brown Wolves.

I had not done anything to the same extent though I had hurt people .

But it was as though he was at peace... And I was not.

"Do you not have regrets?"

"Yes, I have regrets, Weslyn. Forever. And those regrets have names. Mother and Father. You... My sister, Weslyn. Anna. Bryan. Liam and... Graham. I will have my regrets... Forever."

"But you look as though you're at peace."

He smiled. "I am at peace."

"How?"

"My regrets, from my actions, will remain with me, forever, but I had to deal with the consequences of those actions and that allowed me to be at my peace with my regrets."

"Consequences?"

"Like the death of our parents."

There was silence.

"You would not have the same regrets, Weslyn. You realised that you were in the wrong before you could actually hurt the people you love and so, you would not have the same regrets."

But I had regrets.

I had more regrets than West realised.

My actions, from when I became the Alpha, were wrong. And the consequence of my actions, was the death of Liam and other Werewolves in Gray Valley. I had regrets. My actions were wrong and I realised that.

And they became my regrets.

I knew that there was only one thing that I could do to help with my regrets, especially with the death of my Soulmate.

I had to give him the Ceremony he deserved.

But I could not do it alone.

I glanced at my brother.